<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Firestorm by thatsmorelikeittt</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483994">Firestorm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsmorelikeittt/pseuds/thatsmorelikeittt'>thatsmorelikeittt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Forgiveness, Hellfire Grant Ward, Redemption, skyeward au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:46:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsmorelikeittt/pseuds/thatsmorelikeittt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Skye didn't shoot Ward? What if it wasn't Tripp that went down to the cave to save Skye? What if it was Ward? AKA: the Skyeward, Redemption, and Hellfire Ward AU that no one asked for!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leo Fitz &amp; Grant Ward, Leo Fitz &amp; Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson &amp; Grant Ward, Phil Coulson/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson &amp; Cal Zabo, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Transformations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grant sighed as he watched Cal walk away from him, he had to figure out how to get Skye out of here before Whitehall and his goons showed up again to finish Skye’s “transformation”. He quickly started pulling his arms apart, straining against the zip tie that bound his wrists together.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Skye asked, not being able to see him, only hear what he was doing.</p><p>“Trying to get us out of here.” He grunted out as the zip tie finally gave way and snapped, cutting into the skin of his wrist. He reached down to his boot and pulled an army knife out, easily cutting the restraints on his legs.</p><p>“I’m sorry your family reunion got cut short, I didn’t plan on any of this happening.” Grant spoke as he knelt down to cut Skye’s restraints on her wrists and legs.</p><p>“It’s fine.” She coolly replied as she rubbed her wrists where the zip tie had started to cut.</p><p>“Stay there while I check the door.” Grant said as he walked from her, grabbing the guns off the two knocked out guards.</p><p>“I don’t need you to look out for me Ward, I’m going to look for Coulson.” Skye shot out as she walked past him in the doorway.</p><p>“Skye wait.” Grant gently grabbed her wrist as he caught up to her.</p><p>“What?” She asked as she quickly pulled away from his touch.</p><p>“Take this,” He handed her one of the guns, “And be careful okay? I’m going after Whitehall so he doesn’t hurt you.” He explained as he started to walk away from her.</p><p>“What- Ward wait- “</p><p>“I couldn’t stop Quinn from shooting you, but I can stop Whitehall. I told you I wouldn’t let anything else happen to you, I intend on keeping my promise to you.” Grant replied back before he rounded a corner and disappeared.</p><p>Skye sighed out heavily, she contemplated going after him, a part of her not trusting what he would do if he ran into a member of her team. She started to follow him as a shot rang out from behind her, changing her train of thought.</p><p>“Coulson.” She ran towards the sound of the gunshot; praying that he was okay.</p>
<hr/><p>“You fool! It was supposed to be me to kill him! He was supposed to be mine!” Skye heard Cal yell as he and Coulson fighting came into view.</p><p>“Stop! Cal, leave him alone!” Skye grabbed the gun Ward gave her from her back pocket and pointed it at Cal.</p><p>“Dad!” Cal stopped mid punch, fist in the air ready to strike on Coulson’s face once more.</p><p>“Daisy, we need to go, you need to begin your transformation.” Cal whispered as he stood to face her.</p><p>“My name is <em>Skye</em>, and I won’t be transforming into <em>anything</em>. I won’t go down there.”</p><p>“Yes, you will, and you’re going to need someone who understands afterwards.” Cal smiled at her greedily.</p><p>“Get out of here before I kill you.” Skye spat out as she heard footsteps running up behind her.</p><p>“I’ll go, but you’ll need me later on Daisy.” Cal nodded, looking at the figure behind her. “I trust you’ll take care of my daughter?” Skye turned her head, gun still pointed at her father, he was talking to Grant.</p><p>“Uh, yeah sure. What’s going on?” Grant questioned Skye as he looked at Cal skeptically as he walked away.</p><p>“Coulson killed Whitehall.” Skye explained as she leaned down to look at Coulson’s injuries.</p><p>“Skye…” Coulson breathed out, coughing up blood as he rolled on his side.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Skye sobbed out as Grant stood to watch.</p><p>“Do we need to get him on the bus?” Grant asked, “Where’s everyone else?” He added as he looked around for the rest of Coulson’s team.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Skye shook her head as she looked up at him, “But I’m going to finish this. I’m going to stop Raina, I need you to look after him for me, please.” Skye begged as she stood up.</p><p>“Skye no!” Coulon chocked out</p><p>“Skye you can’t do this alone.”</p><p>“Ward, please. If you ever cared about me, you’ll take care of Coulson for me.” Skye insisted as she ran away from the two men. Grant sighed as he leaned down to check on Coulson.</p><p>“Can you walk?” He questioned as he helped Coulson sit up.</p><p>“You need to go after her, it’s not safe. I can get to the bus myself. I know you won’t let anything happen to her Ward.” Coulson insisted as he staggered up slowly.</p><p>“I- I don’t know if that’s a good idea, you’re in pretty bad shape.”</p><p>“It’s not a suggestion Ward, it’s an order. Go save Skye before something bad happens to her.” Grant nodded before he went off in the direction Skye ran towards.</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Don’t you understand, everything we’ve ever done has been leading us to this point.” Raina insisted excitedly as Skye pointed her gun at her.</p><p>“Look, Raina, I don’t believe in your stupid transformation crap. Give me the damn diviner before I put a bullet in you.” Skye snapped out as Rania chuckled.</p><p>“We’re finally about to find out what we become.” Raina replied as she let the diviner go.</p><p>The diviner floated to the center of the stone podium, lighting up as the stone walls surrounding them started to for together, shutting the two women in.</p><p>“SKYE!” Skye heard Ward yell as he squeezed through one of the walls.</p><p>“Ward, what the hell?” Skye screeched, in shock that he was standing in front of her.</p><p>“I’m here to get you, why else would I be here?” Grant shrugged like his presence should be obvious.</p><p>“I told you to stay with Coulson.”</p><p>“I have my orders.” Grant replied as he gave her a small smile before looking at the diviner opening up.</p><p>“Let’s hope you’re one of us Ward, or it’s your funeral.” Rania announced.</p><p>“How do we stop this?” Grant questioned, hand reaching for Skye to throw her behind whatever was about to happen.</p><p>“I don’t think we can.” Skye shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes as beautiful purple crystals exposed themselves.</p><p>“Well, if I die trying to save you then it’s worth it.” Grant joked sourly.</p><p>“Don’t talk like that.” Skye breathed out before a shot of mist came out of the crystals, hitting the three of them in the face.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” Grant questioned as he coughed out.</p><p>Skye looked over to Raina, her arm was turning to stone as she smiled brightly.</p><p>“Maybe you’ll really be monsters together now.” She cruelly teased Grant as the stone covered her face.</p><p>“No!” Skye screamed as she looked down at her own arms, stone in place of skin.</p><p>“Skye!” Grant reached for her again as his body quickly turned to stone.</p><p>“Ward!” Skye cried out as she reached out for Grant, their fingers mere inches from each other, stone encasing their faces.</p><p> </p><p>Moments passed as their bodies stood there in time, until piece by piece, the stone fell off their bodies. A hot blaze came of nowhere, surrounding Grant but not leaving a mark as his veins glowed orange. He fell to his knees, the heat encasing him, being too much to handle. He took his jacket off to relieve some of the heat beating off his body. Something was wrong, something was very wrong.</p><p> </p><p> A large rumbling came from his right side as he looked to Skye, her shell of stone flying off of her as the entire ground shook, rocks and dust flying every which way as she was released from her casing. She fell to the ground with a rough thud as she looked around at the destruction.</p><p>“What- what just happened?” Skye asked herself shakily as she looked down at her hands. Her whole body felt like it was vibrating, she felt different, terrified.</p><p>“Skye are you okay?” Grant asked as he crawled over to her.</p><p>“Something’s wrong, I don’t know what but something’s not right.” She shook her head as she looked at him.</p><p>“I know,” he nodded at her in agreement, “I’m not sure what just happened.” Grant his as his insides felt like they were on fire.</p><p>“Ward your neck…” Skye reached out for his neck, a vein glowing orange on the side.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t know why my skin keeps doing that, I feel like I’m on fire.” He breathed lightly as her fingers gently ran along his neck.</p><p>“Where’s Raina?” Skye looked around for the opportunist, but she was nowhere in sight.</p><p>“I don’t care, we need to find our way of here before these rocks decide to fall on us.” Grant replied as he helped Skye stand and grabbed her hand.</p><p>"We need to find Coulson." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wrong with Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Skye it's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you, I promise."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>The next two hours went by quickly, blood tests, fever checks, x-rays and questions swarmed Grant and Skye as they were brought back to the base and put in quarantine together.</p><p>“I’m sorry Skye, Simmons suggests that you two quarantine together until the tests come back. If you acquired any sort of illness down in that cave, we can’t have it spreading.” Coulson explained through the glass door, ignoring Grant’s presence.</p><p>“Of course, I understand.” Skye nodded.</p><p>“Be careful.” Coulson looked to Grant warily before walking away.</p><p> </p><p>Skye sighed as she slowly hopped back up on her bed, looking behind her shoulder at Grant. He was looking down at his wrists obsessively, confusion covering his face.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Skye asked as she turned towards his, legs dangling off the side of her bed.</p><p>“They’re gone.” He said more to himself, not really registering she was there.</p><p>“What’s gone?”</p><p>“My scars, from when I tried to kill myself. It’s like they healed.” Grant explained as he looked at her finally. Skye got up and grabbed his wrist, remembering the jagged bump of skin where he had cut into his wrist with a piece of paper.</p><p>“How is that possible?” She whispered as she ran her fingers over the now smooth skin.</p><p>“I don’t know, it’s impossible. It’s like it never happened.” Grant replied as he shook his head. “But, how are you? How are you feeling?” He asked her sincerely.</p><p>“I’m okay, at least I think I am? I’m not sure honestly.” Skye shrugged as she looked up at him.</p><p>“I don’t- I don’t want to sound weird, but are your scars from your gunshots gone?”</p><p>“I- I haven’t looked.” Skye replied as she slowly lifting her shirt, hand running over her stomach as she felt nothing but smooth skin. “They’re gone.” She exclaimed worriedly.</p><p>“What the fuck is going on with us?” Grant questioned as his skin started to heat up, veins glowing orange.</p><p>“Ward calm down, your neck is doing the thing again.” Skye reached for his neck to cover his vein, looking behind her to make sure no one was watching them.</p><p>“I don’t get what’s going on, it’s pissing me off.” Grant hissed out as he tried to calm himself down, worried about hurting Skye.</p><p>“I know, I don’t get it either but we have to be careful.” Skye begged as a glass on the bed tray started to rattle heavily.</p><p>“Skye look at me,” Grant saw the glass rattling and saw the fear in her eyes as he grabbed her wrists, “Breathe, we’ve got this. We can figure this out together, look at me.” Skye looked up at him, mouth open about to speak before she heard the glass doors opening up.</p><p>“Am I interrupting something?” Fitz asked as he walked in with a tablet and medical instruments.</p><p> </p><p>Skye stepped away from Grant as Fitz entered the room, she sat back on her bed quickly as she watched Fitz organize the vials and needles.</p><p>“You need more blood? Again?” Skye sighed, tired of being poked and prodded.</p><p>“Yeah, something’s not right. I need to know if it’s just a glitch in the system.” Fitz explained rapidly as he walked to Grant and roughly grabbed his arm.</p><p>“Wait, it’s with me?” Grant questioned as Fitz tied a tourniquet around his upper arm.</p><p>“No, both of you. Simmons is talking about bring in the CDC, she’s going bonkers about whatever she found in the tunnel.”</p><p>“What did she find? Are we in danger?” Skye asked, worried about the CDC getting involved.</p><p>“She found something; she’s calling it an alien virus. There were remnants of those crystals in the cave where you two were and she’s been analyzing them.” Fitz explained as he finished with Grant and went to Skye.</p><p>“An alien virus? She thinks we’re sick?” Skye was terrified, eyeing Grant behind Fitz’s back.</p><p>“That’s what I’m guessing. She’s not talking like herself; I think she’s really scared.” Fitz replied.</p><p> </p><p>As he entered the needle into Skye’s skin, the glass on the bedside table started to rattle rapidly once more. Grant looked to Skye, silently pleading with her to calm down.</p><p>“What the hell?” Fitz walked over to the glass as he finished with Skye, the glass shattered loudly as he rounded the bed, making the trio jump, “What was that?” He asked, looking over at Skye and Grant.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Skye whispered, too afraid to speak.</p><p>“Your guess is better than mine.” Grant shrugged, trying to play it off like it was nothing.</p><p>“I’ll have someone come clean it up.” Fitz said absentmindedly as he left the room, still looking down at the shattered glass.</p><p>“I’ve got it Fitz.” Grant got up as he left, grabbing the garbage can as he walked to where the glass had shattered.</p><p>“No, Ward let me get it, I’m the one who did it.” Skye started to get off the bed when he stopped her.</p><p>“I’ve got this, just stay there okay?” He gently and slowly reached down, picking up the broken pieces as best as he could while trying not to cut himself.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I tried to calm down, but when he started talking about Simmons wanting to call the CDC I freaked.” Skye sobbed into her hands, scared of what was going to happen next.</p><p>“I know, I’m worried too.” Grant sighed as he finished cleaning up the glass, standing in front of Skye.</p><p>Skye looked up at him as he picked a small piece of glass out of his finger, he was still the Ward she knew in some ways. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest as sobs wracked her body. Grant held her as he knelt down to his knee to be level with her.</p><p>“Skye it’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you, I promise.”</p><p>“Something is very wrong with us Ward.” She cried as she pulled away from him.</p><p>“I know, but we’ll figure it out. I know Coulson won’t let anything happen to you.” Grant said as he wiped her tears away.</p><p>“What about you though?” Grant laughed lightly</p><p>“I’m just surprised that I’m not down in my cell right now.” He joked, making he smile.</p><p>“You might have to share if they found out what’s wrong with us.”</p><p>“Let’s not think about that right now, let’s wait to see what Fitz tells us first,” Grant pulled her feet up to her bed and grabbed her blanket to cover her up, “Get some sleep, I know you haven’t slept since we got here.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Okay we have a big problem.” Fitz explained as he walked into the room three hours later.</p><p>“Be quiet, she’s sleeping.” Grant whispered hotly.</p><p>“She needs to know what’s going on.”</p><p>“I can tell her when she wakes up. What’s wrong?” Grant asked as Fitz walked over to him with a tablet.</p><p>“Both of your scans came back the same. It’s not good.” Fitz exclaimed as he handed Grant the tablet.</p><p>“What am I looking at?” Grant questioned as he looked at the screen.</p><p>“Both of your DNA structures have completely changed.”</p><p>“That’s not possible.” Grant shook his head as he handed back the tablet.</p><p>“That’s what I thought. That’s why I came back for more blood. But it’s the same as the other five scans I ran on the blood I got from when we brought you two in. Now yours isn’t as severe, but Skye’s is.”</p><p>“Why would her DNA be more different?”</p><p>“Because of the GH-325 that’s in her system from when she was shot, her DNA structure doesn’t even look somewhat similar from when we injected her with that.”</p><p>“So has Simmons called the CDC?” Grant asked, looking over at Skye’s sleeping form.</p><p>“No. I switched out the scans with old blood samples we had on file.”</p><p>“What? Why?”</p><p>“Because the way Simmons was talking, Skye wouldn’t have been safe. I’m only hiding your DNA too so no one looks into Skye’s, I could care less what happens to you.” Fitz explained cruelly to Grant.</p><p>“Keeping Skye safe is all that matters to me.” Grant nodded.</p><p>“Well you can tell her what’s wrong when she wakes up, I’m going to give Coulson the good news.”</p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Has Fitz come back yet?” Skye yawned as she turned over to look at Grant.</p><p>“Yeah he has.” Grant couldn’t look at her, he was too scared to tell her the truth.</p><p>“What’s wrong? Is it bad?” Skye asked as she shot out of bed and went over to him.</p><p>“It’s- it’s pretty bad.” Grant finally looked at her, he made room on his bed for her to sit down.</p><p>Once she sat down, he started to explain everything Fitz had told him; holding Skye as tears of fear poured out of her eyes once more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Understandings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Someday you'll understand."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>“I really don’t think this is necessary, he saved my life.” Skye argued as she followed Coulson down the hall to his office.</p><p> </p><p>“Look Skye, I know what he did but he can’t be trusted. He’s <em>Ward</em>, I’m not going to risk our team around him. I can’t even believe you’re arguing with me about this, look what he did to Fitz!” Coulson argued back, angry at Skye for defending the deplorable man that sat in his basement.</p><p> </p><p>“I know what he did to Fitz, but he didn’t mean for that to happen, he was trying to give them a fighting chance. Garrett ordered him to execute them!”</p><p> </p><p>“You sound just like him. What is wrong with you Skye? Did something happen down in that cave that I need to know?” Coulson questioned suspiciously.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing happened, I just think he’s proved himself is all.” Skye sighed, not wanting to think about the quaking that she was secretly trying to control.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye, Ward is not the problem right now. The problem is this,” Coulson handed her a tablet from his desk, it was security footage of a woman fighting a man fiercely. The woman was Lady Sif from Asgard.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that Sif?” Skye asked as she watched the man lift up the Asgardian and throw her over the railing into the water. “Oh my god.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. She washed up on shore hours later with no memory, we’re gearing up to go get her now. Think you can join us?” Coulson asked, hooking his gun to his side.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah of course.” Skye nodded, ready to get back to normal.</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Grant sat in his bed, his thoughts wandering to Skye as he wondered how she was holding up with her new abilities. He wanted to try his out but he knew his every move was being watched, he couldn’t risk them finding out about Skye.</p><p> </p><p>A sudden rumbling of the ground took him from his thoughts as the walls of his prison rattled heavily. Minutes later, a loud bang came from the top of the stairs as Skye ran down them.</p><p> </p><p>Skye reached for the tablet in the center of the room, tapping the buttons quickly to let her into Ward’s cell before she locked them both inside. Hitting the necessary buttons on the screen to hide the pair inside the small cage</p><p> </p><p>“Skye, what going-” Grant started to ask as she threw the tablet onto his bed.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I can’t make it stop. I don’t know what to do and everyone is at risk.” She cried as she paced back forth, dropping to the ground, pulling her legs to her chest as sobs wracked her body.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye breathe, it’s okay. You can control this.” Grant sat down next to her, hesitantly sitting down next to her.</p><p> </p><p>“No, Ward I can’t.” She shook her head, looking up into his brown eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye you can do anything you set your mind to; you know that.”  Grant insisted, “You became a SHIELD agent when no one thought you would.” He reminded her, trying to make her feel better.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, look how that turned out.” She shook her head, turning away from him. Her quip stinging him a little, but he knew she was right.</p><p> </p><p>“And look how far you’ve come since then, Skye look at me, you can control this. I believe in you, I always have.” Grant exclaimed, gently pulling her to face him before he gently grabbed her face to look into her eyes.  “Look at me, breathe.” Grant let out a breath, Skye following suit as their breaths harmonized with each other.</p><p> </p><p>“SKYE. WHERE ARE YOU?” Sif yelled, making the pair jump as she threw the metal chair at the cutoff prison.</p><p> </p><p>“Why is Sif looking for you?” Grant whispered, Skye’s quakes getting worse as the floor below Sif’s feet started to crack.</p><p>“Because I’m a monster.” Skye whispered back, pulling away from Ward as to not hurt anyone else.</p><p> </p><p>“SKYE.” Sif struck the screened-in box, sparks flying as the screen tried to resist the blade.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit.” Grant remarked, veins in his neck and hands glowing orange. He needed to defend Skye.</p><p> </p><p>“Ward, calm down.” Skye reached out, pulling on his arm lightly, hoping her touch wouldn’t hurt him.</p><p> </p><p>“She’s trying to kill you, I can’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“Grant! Look at me.” Grant turned to her; she had only ever called him by his first name once before. He leaned into her, their foreheads touching, each of them hoping they wouldn’t hurt the other.</p><p> </p><p>“Sif she’s not in there!” Coulson yelled as he came barreling down the stairs with May.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, she is, I can hear her talking to Agent Ward.” Sif exclaimed, swinging her sword at the screen, trying to slice through once again.</p><p> </p><p>“If you stop yours, I’ll stop mine.” Grant joked, trying to make Skye smile.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know if I can,” Skye shook her head, feeling defeated. “I don’t know how to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s the tablet? Skye!” Coulson yelled, making Skye jump.</p><p> </p><p>“What are they going to do to us?” Skye asked Grant, tears streaming down her face.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure, they’ll probably put us on the gifted index. But I promise you, Skye, I’m going to be right by your side no matter what they say or do to me, can you stop this now?” Grant promised, squeezing Skye’s hands lightly, Skye concentrated hard, holding onto Grant’s hands as the tremors in the base slowed down, coming to a full stop.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye?! WHAT DID YOU DO WARD?!” Coulson yelled, panicking that Grant had done something.</p><p> </p><p>Grant reached for the tablet on the bed, unlocked the prison to reveal Skye sitting on the floor, tears drying as she caught her breath.</p><p> </p><p>“What did you do to her?” Coulson accused, shoving Grant out of the way roughly to get to Skye.</p><p> </p><p>“He didn’t do anything Coulson, he helped me stop whatever this is.” Skye insisted, glaring at Coulson as she stood.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye, why didn’t you tell me this happened to you?” Coulson asked, offended she trust Grant more than him.</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously? Look at what happened. That’s why.” Skye shook her head, wanting nothing more than to just go to her room to hide out.</p><p> </p><p>“What are your powers, Ward?” May asked, crossing her arms as she glared daggers at her former lover.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” Ward glared, acting like he didn’t know what May was talking about.</p><p> </p><p>“You were down in that cave with Skye, I’m sure you got powers too?” May suggested.</p><p> </p><p>“He doesn’t have any. It’s just me.” Skye yelled, she knew what they would do to Grant if they found out he had abilities, it would be worse than trying to give him over to his brother.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?” Sif questioned. Skye nodded affirmatively.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m positive, I checked.” Skye exclaimed, walking out of the prison, forcing herself to not look back at Grant.</p><p>“If I find out you forced her to lie for you, I’ll kill you myself.” Coulson threatened Grant before locking up his prison once more.</p><p> </p><p>Skye sighed as she left Coulson’s office, yes, she would have to be put on the gifted index as Grant had said, would also need SHIELD-appointed therapy as a regulation to stay on as an active agent. She couldn’t imagine what they would do to Grant.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to protect her!” Fitz tried to defend his friend, if they only knew she wasn’t the only Inhuman on base.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re wrong, she needs to be vaccinated or something, what she has is a disease, a sickness.” Simmons injected</p><p> </p><p>“I agree with Simmons, Fitz, we need protection from her!” Mack yelled back, not stopping himself in time before Skye heard him voice his concerns.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye…” Fitz said, walking towards her before she put her hands up.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m fine. I know where I stand with my team now.” Skye replied before huffing away towards her room to pack her things up. She knew where she was wanted and where she wasn’t now, and it killed her that her father had been right all along.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“No one will understand you after you’ve gone through the mist.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>He was wrong about one thing. Someone did understand, had understood her all along but she was too hurt to see the truth.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Someday you’ll understand.”</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>Grant was finishing his nighttime workout as he heard the basement door open and then slam shut, he looked up from his position on the floor to see Skye walking down the stairs, multiple bags in hand.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here?” Grant asked as she eyed his shirtless form.</p><p>“You were right,” Skye shrugged, “You said someday I would understand and you were right.” She sighed, unlocking Grant’s cell before she unzipped one of the duffle bags and pulled out some of Grant’s old clothes.</p><p> </p><p>“Here, dress quick. I have the cameras on a 12-hour loop so we need to hurry if we want a good head start. I’m assuming you still have connections in HYDRA that can help?” Skye questioned as she tossed the articles of clothing in his direction.</p><p> </p><p>“Skye what are you talking about?” Grant asked as he caught his old clothes in his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“Ward, they’re going to figure out sooner or later that you have abilities too and- and they won’t be as nice to you as they were to me. They actually weren’t even that nice, Mack said the team needs to be protected from me, Simmons said something about me having a disease…”</p><p> </p><p>“Skye-”</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t stay here Ward, it’s not safe for either of us. We need to go, please. Or have you changed your mind?”</p><p> </p><p>“Changed my mind?” Grant asked as he pulled the gray scrubs off his body that he had adorned for far too long.</p><p> </p><p>“About me, have your feelings changed?” Skye paced, stopping as Grant started to remove his pants, leaving him in only his briefs.</p><p> </p><p>“You still- you still want me? After everything?” Grant stopped, looking at her clearly. She was so different now, so far from that girl in the van he met so long ago.</p><p> </p><p>“I- I don’t know what I want. What I do know is that we understand each other and that you’re the only one I can depend on right now so I need you to hurry the hell up and get dressed so we can go!” Skye begged, worried someone was going to catch them.</p><p>“Okay, give me some privacy so I can change?” Skye grabbed the tablet, shutting Grant in so she couldn’t see him change his underwear.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m ready.” Grant remarked a few moments later, Skye unlocked the cell, releasing Grant from his prison.</p><p> </p><p>Grant walked out, feeling somewhat free for the first time in months. Skye locked his now empty cell once more, closing the screen off so no one could see into the cell.</p><p> </p><p>By the time the team would realize Skye was gone, it would only take a few hours to notice that Grant was gone too. But they would get a good enough head start to get away from SHIELD for good.</p><p> </p><p>“So, your connections in HYDRA, do they have safe houses we can go to?” Skye questioned as the two packed into her van.</p><p> </p><p>“No, we’re not using anyone in HYDRA, I have a couple of allies that have a place we can use. I just have to call her to make sure she can get us the key.” Grant explained, yawning with exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I have a burner phone I never set up before you guys grabbed me. It should still be okay.” Skye handed the phone to him so he could call.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks.” Grant whispered as he flipped open the phone, dialing the number.</p><p> </p><p>“So, who are you calling?”  Skye wondered as she started pulling out of the base’s garage.</p><p> </p><p>“Romanoff.”  </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>